Tool Thieves Target Vans
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has conducted new research into trade vehicle break-ins.
27% of trade vehicles were targeted by criminals looking to steal tools from their vehicles in the last 12 months.
Data from a Freedom of Information request sent to UK police forces found that on average 20,000 reports of this nature each year.
The estimated cost of replacing stolen equipment totals around £15 million a year 57% of drivers admitted leaving tools in their van overnight, with one in three admitting they weren’t taking any precautionary measures.
The hotspot for tool theft was in London. 55% of trades vehicles have had equipment stolen over the past year.
Other hotspots include:
- West Midlands (33%)
- North East (28%)
- North West (25%)
- East Anglia (23%)
Tradespeople are often left unable to work because of equipment theft and van lock repairs. This delay in trading costs an estimated £550 in loss of earning a day per van.
Comment
Head of sales operations at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, David Hanna said,
“Tool theft is a massive problem for tradespeople with thieves targeting vans parked up overnight across the country. We’re urging people who own expensive equipment to take extra precautions to deter would-be thieves, whether that’s removing items overnight, adding extra security measures.”
Top Tips
Top tips for keeping your van safe:
- Park in a well-lit area
- Park in view of CCTV where possible
- Install vehicle trackers
- Park defensively, with doors by blocking off by objects or other vehicles
- Install a double locking system
How Can We Help?
Our telematics solutions offer your fleet security and safety. Using cutting edge technology, you can track your fleet in real-time using the online portal. Our dashcam systems start recording in and outside the vehicle upon ignition, streaming live visuals to your fleet manager. With our geofencing feature, the fleet manager receives an alert when a fleet vehicle enters a specified area.
Tool Thieves Target Vans